OFFICIAL HIGHLIGHTS #4 – ESTOURS: WORTH THE DETOUR!

📍 From KM 41 – Ultra du Saint-Jacques

After a refreshing break at the Prades beach aid station, the trail continues toward one of the true gems and icons of the Trail du Saint-Jacques by UTMB: the Notre-Dame d’Estours chapel.

Nestled in the heart of the Allier Gorges, it is one of the region’s most beautiful sanctuaries. Exceptionally illuminated throughout the night, it reveals its Romanesque statue of the Virgin Mary, silently watching over your journey.

But before you can enjoy this suspended moment in time, you’ll have to earn the height. A forest single track winds through the woods along the Seuge for about 3 kilometers. Your legs will be put to the test by demanding sections where the incline sometimes exceeds 22%.

Once you reach the chapel, one final effort remains—a nearly one-kilometer climb to reach the clifftop hamlet of La Vialle d’Estours.